Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi borrowed heavily from Vasthu Sastra as he termed the northeast, India’s Northeast corner (‘ishan kon’ and said the region must be taken care of to ensure the country’s well-being.

Flagging off Meghalaya’s first train and laying the foundation for the Bhairabi-Sairang broad gauge rail line in Mizoram here on Saturday, Modi resorted to ancient Indian design principles to highlight the Northeast’s importance in his government’s scheme of things.

“Those who believe in Vasthu Shastra know that the ‘Ishan kon’ of a house should be taken care of. Likewise, the northeast should be developed for the progress of the country. The northeast (comprising eight states) is the ‘Asta Lakshmi’ (eight goddesses of wealth and prosperity). Proper connectivity and infrastructure will transform the northeast into a region of prosperity,” Modi said.

It is believed that Vasthu Sastra developed sometime between 10,000 BC and subsequently one can find reference to it in the holy epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata, in an era when philosophy was a way of life.